I Dig Sports
Similarly, Sweden’s Mattias Falck reached the levels displayed at the Liebherr 2019 World Championships, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-Ju excelled; China’s Fan Zhendong extracted revenge.
Meanwhile, China’s Zhu Yuling, who in recent times has not been blessed with success, returned to winning ways; colleague Ding Ning asserted her authority, Singapore’s Feng Tianwei revelled in the short game format.
Men’s Singles: Round One
…………Patrick Franziska provided the performance of the day; level after four games, he excelled in the five point scenario to beat China’s Liang Jingkun (11-10, 4-11, 11-8, 7-11, 5-1, 5-3).
…………Mattias Falck thwarted a possible recovery by Japan’s Koki Niwa (11-8, 11-8, 11-10, 10-11, 2-5, 5-3).
…………Fan Zhendong turned the tables; he beat Brazil’s Hugo Calderano (11-8, 11-10, 11-6, 5-2); the player against whom he had experienced defeat at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.
…………Lin Yun-Ju showed his class; he accounted for Japan’s Jun Mizutani in straight games (11-9, 11-10, 11-7, 11-8).
Men’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
…………Top half: Ma Long v Lin Yun-Ju, Patrick Franziska v Wong Chun Ting
…………Lower half: Xu Xin v Mattias Falck, Fan Zhendong v Lin Gaoyuan
Women’s Singles: Round One
…………Han Ying proved too secure for Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching (11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 5-2, 5-2).
…………Feng Tianwei recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Japan’s Miu Hirano (8-11, 9-11, 11-10, 5-4, 5-3, 5-4).
…………Ding Ning ended the hopes of Romania’s Bernadette Szocs (5-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-2, 5-2).
…………Zhu Yuling proved the model of consistency; she accounted for Japan’s Kasumi Ishikawa (11-6, 11-7, 11-0, 7-11, 11-8).
Women’s Singles: Quarter-Finals
…………Top half: Wang Manyu v Han Ying, Feng Tianwei v Ding Ning
…………Lower half: Zhu Yuling v Sun Yingsha, Miyu Kato v Chen Meng
Tagged under
ROSSBURG, Ohio – World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and Eldora Speedway officials revealed the format for the $175,000-to-win Kings Royal feature on Friday afternoon.
All time trial procedures will follow those set forth in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink (WoO) Sprint Car Series Rulebook, with the exception that the qualifying order will not be split into “A” and “B” flights.
Cars will time trial in order of the random pill draw conducted prior to the driver meeting. The fastest lap will determine heat group position.
The two fastest qualifiers who do not advance to first, second or third place in their heat race will start 19th and 20th in the 36th Kings Royal.
Meanwhile, the winners of “Jokers Wild” and “The Knight Before” each earn the right to make their qualifying attempt at any point during Time Trials for the Kings Royal regardless of their established pill draw. The drivers are still required to participate in the pill draw and must present their cars ready to qualify in front of the Media Center to be eligible.
If the same driver wins both Thursday and Friday’s feature races, only that driver has the privilege – there is no transfer of the privilege.
Using the traditional Kings Royal format, the results of qualifying will be staggered by time into six Heat Groups using an invert of six.
The heat group pole cars will be: A) 31st fastest; B) 32nd fastest; C) 33rd fastest; D) 34th fastest; E) 35th fastest; and F) the 36th fastest qualifier.
Saturday’s fastest qualifier will start sixth in heat group A; and the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth fastest qualifiers will start sixth in Groups B through F, accordingly.
The order of the Heat Races will be determined by “The Joust,” a race eight-laps in distance among the fastest six qualifiers. It will be held after qualifying and prior to the heat races.
The starting lineup will be determined by a “Revenge Draw.”
The results will give those six drivers, by order of finish, the opportunity to move their entire heat race in the order of events – and steal away the according advancement.
For example, the third fastest qualifier is traditionally seeded into the third heat race, and the top-three finishers in the third heat race start fourth, ninth and 15th in the Kings Royal.
In 2019, the third fastest qualifier has been seeded into heat group C. If the third fastest qualifier wins The Joust, the driver has the first choice to move Heat Group C up or down in the order of events.
If they move their heat group to be the first heat race, they will be racing to start 6th, 7th and 13th. If they see a top competitor is up front in group F and could possibly start pole, they may choose to move their entire heat group to be the sixth heat race in the order putting themselves – and the rest of their heat race – in position to race for the pole, 12th or 18th in the Kings Royal.
Notably, a new right-rear tire is permitted for The Joust. If an incident during The Joust necessitates the need for a backup car in the heat race, the driver would retain their original start position without penalty.
If a driver or car is not able to continue further in the program following the conclusion of The Joust, they will be awarded last place monies ($3,000) from the Kings Royal.
There are six heat races of 10 laps in distance. The top-three finishers advance to the 36th Kings Royal.
First Heat Race: the winner starts sixth; second starts seventh and third starts 13th.
Second Heat Race: the winner starts fifth; second starts eighth and third starts 14th.
Third Heat Race: the winner starts fourth; second starts ninth and third starts 15th.
Fourth Heat Race: the winner starts third; second starts 10th and third starts 16th.
Fifth Heat Race: the winner starts second; second starts 11th and third starts 17th.
Sixth Heat Race: the winner starts on the pole; second starts 12th and third starts 18th.
Cars finishing fourth, fifth and sixth – that are not the two fastest qualifiers who do not finish in the top-three in their heat race – advance to the Last Chance Showdown.
Cars finishing seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th advance to the C-Feature.
The two fastest qualifiers not advancing from the heat races will start 19th and 20th in the Kings Royal.
There is one C-Feature. Cars finishing first through sixth advance to the Last Chance Showdown.
There is one Last Chance Showdown. Cars finishing first through fourth advance to the Kings Royal.
The top-three finishers from the six heat races will makeup the first 18 starters in the Kings Royal as explained above.
The #JokersWild on Thursday and #TheKnightBefore on Friday will follow the procedures of, and be pointed per, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
The 36th Kings Royal on Saturday night is a WoO show-up points event.
An additional $5,000 in cash awards has been posted for drivers who have never qualified for the A-Feature at the Kings Royal.
One-thousand dollars each is up for the highest-finishing driver making their first Kings Royal A-Feature; the fastest qualifier who has never made a Kings Royal A-Feature; the top-finishing non-qualifier who has never made the Kings Royal; the top-finishing driver in the Jokers Wild who has never made the Kings Royal and the top-finishing driver in The Knight Before who has never made the Kings Royal.
Tagged under
The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames swapped contract problems on Friday, as winger Milan Lucic waived his no-movement clause to allow a trade for winger James Neal.
The Oilers included a conditional third-round pick in 2020. They also retained salary on the deal.
Lucic, 31, signed a seven-year, $42 million free-agent deal with the Oilers in July 2016 as a physical forward to play with young star Connor McDavid. But his offensive numbers dramatically fell off, with just 104 points in 243 games with a 9.8 shooting percentage. His $6 million annual cap hit through 2023, with a full no-move clause through 2021, made his contract an albatross for new general manager Ken Holland.
Neal, 31, signed a five-year, $28.75 million free-agent deal with Calgary in July 2018, with an annual cap hit of $5.75 million. His lone season with the Flames was a disaster; after scoring more than 20 goals in his first 10 NHL seasons, Neal scored just seven in 63 games with the Flames and failed to find consistency in their lineup. His contract had no trade protection.
The Oilers' salary retention means the Flames have a $5.25 million average annual value on Lucic while the Oilers keep $750,000 on their cap.
The key for Edmonton in the trade, besides Neal's potential offensive upside, is flexibility. Not only can he be exposed in the eventual Seattle expansion draft, but the Oilers could buy out his contract without the signing-bonus burdens that Lucic's contract contains. Lucic is owed $8.5 million in guaranteed money beginning next summer.
Tagged under
Trade grades: Oilers come out (way) ahead in Neal-Lucic swap
Published in
Hockey
Friday, 19 July 2019 15:49
The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames swapped contract problems, as winger Milan Lucic waived his no-movement clause for a trade for winger James Neal.
Oilers get: RW James Neal
Flames get: RW Milan Lucic, conditional third-round pick in 2020
Edmonton Oilers: A-
Tagged under
Jin, Summerhays punch tickets to U.S. Junior Amateur final
Published in
Golf
Friday, 19 July 2019 11:21
“Get in!”
Bo Jin yelled at his ball as his 30-foot birdie putt rolled toward the hole Friday at Inverness Club’s par-4 18th hole. The ball listened, dropping and giving Jin a 1-up victory over Kelly Chinn in the semifinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur.
Jin, a 17-year-old from Beijing, will face Preston Summerhays, a 4-and-3 winner over Joe Pagdin in the other semifinal, in Saturday’s 36-hole final.
The younger brother of 2015 Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Cheng Jin, Jin entered the week ranked No. 777 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and winless in national amateur and junior events. His best finish is a T-2 showing at last year’s AJGA Junior Players.
He’ll have a chance to break through Saturday after winning a thrilling match over Chinn. Jin built a 3-up lead through five, capping that run with a long birdie make at the par-3 fifth. However, Chinn got two back with pars at Nos. 6 and 7.
Later in the match, Chinn birdied the par-4 11th and parred the par-3 12th to tie things up. And when Jin built another 2-up lead with a 12-foot eagle make at the par-5 13th and par at the par-4 15th, Chinn won Nos. 16 and 17 to send the match to No. 18.
In the end, though, it was Jin willing his ball in the hole at the last and punching his ticket to the final.
Summerhays will be waiting after a convincing win over Pagdin, a likely GB&I Walker Cupper this year at No. 41 in the WAGR.
Pagdin held a 2-up advantage after seven holes before Summerhays won four straight holes and took a 2-up lead of his own. Pagdin was noticeably gassed after a two-month stretch that’s included the U.S. Junior, European Boys Team Championship, Wyndham Cup, The Amateur, St. Andrews Links Trophy and Thunderbird International Junior. He managed to halve the par-4 12th with bogey, but three holes later Summerhays was sinking an 8-footer for par to seal the victory.
Summerhays, the 16-year-old son of instructor and former Tour player Boyd Summerhays (and nephew of current Tour pro Daniel Summerhays), is coming off his second straight Utah State Amateur victory and at No. 208 in the WAGR is, like Jin, looking for his signature national win.
Tagged under
Creamer-Pressel making Inkster think twice about Solheim Cup roster
Published in
Golf
Friday, 19 July 2019 11:53
U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster was walking the course scouting prospective American players Friday at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational team event.
The veteran duo of Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel, on the outer fringe of potential team members at week’s start, gave themselves a chance to win.
They are making Inkster think twice.
“It’s their job to make me think,” Inkster said. “They’re so good together.”
With a 1-under-par 69 Friday in alternate shot, Creamer and Pressel slipped off the pace, but they are very much in the hunt. They’re tied for second, five shots behind Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura, who teamed to shoot 63, a terrific score in a difficult format. The Jutanugarn sisters (Ariya and Moriya) shot 64 and are among four teams tied for second.
Clanton, an American teaming with the Thailand’s Suwannapura, is a distant 55th on the American Solheim Cup points list. The top eight at the conclusion of the CP Women’s Open (Aug. 25) automatically make the team. Creamer is 33rd on the U.S. points list, Pressel 27th. There are no Solheim Cup points available this week.
“When I started this thing, I told everybody you've got two years to make the team,” Inkster said when asked if she told Creamer/Pressel they would make the team with a victory. “If you make me pick you, you can't rely on that. And I think they know that, but I would love to see them make me sweat.”
Creamer has played in every Solheim Cup since she joined the LPGA in 2005. She’s 17-9-5 in Solheim Cup play, with her 19.5 points trailing only Cristie Kerr (21) for most in the American team history.
Pressel is 10-7-2 in six Solheim Cups.
They’re 2-2-1 as Solheim partners.
Inkster also spent time Friday watching Megan Khang, who’s eighth on the American points list, teaming with Annie Park, who is on the cusp of making the team off the world-rankings list.
“They're electrifying,” Inkster said. “They're fun and they're energetic. I love watching them.”
The Korda sisters (Jessica and Nelly) have already locked up American rosters spots in qualifying. They shot 68 and will enter Saturday’s better-ball final round tied for 20th, nine shots off the lead.
The dynamic duo of Kerr and Lexi Thompson, who had to rally Thursday to make the cut, endured a disappointing day. They shot 76 and fell 17 shots off the lead. They’re 11-1-2 as American partners in Solheim Cup and UL International Crown play. While Thompson has already qualified for the team, Kerr remains just outside the qualifying standard. She has four events to qualify on points.
What is Inkster focusing on as she watches players this week?
“I'm looking at how they react to a missed shot, or how they react to a missed putt,” she said. “Do they have their head up? Do they have their head down? What's their pace?
“And then, you know, how they are as a teammate out there. Are they picking the other person up? Are they slapping them on the head or the butt? I look for a lot of things, but I'm really out here just trying to watch how they play alternate shot, I think that's big for us.”
Tagged under
Clanton-Suwannapura take five-shot lead into final round of LPGA team event
Published in
Golf
Friday, 19 July 2019 13:30
MIDLAND, Mich. - Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura shot a 7-under 63 in alternate shot Friday to open a five-stroke lead in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the LPGA's first-year team event.
Clanton and Suwannapura birdied five of the last seven holes on the front nine and played the last five holes in 2 under, making three birdies and a bogey.
''I think because we pretty chill, like 'You hit a bad shot, like OK, I'll fix it, don't worry,''' Suwannapura said. ''So everybody kind of like relaxing the game today, so the result pretty good.''
They had a 16-under 194 total at Midland Country Club, with a best-ball round left Saturday.
''Each hole's an opportunity,'' Clanton said. ''How many opportunities can we give ourselves. One of those things where as many fairways and greens as you can hit and if the putts go in, great.''
Suwannapura, from Thailand, won the Marathon Classic last year for her lone LPGA title. Clanton is winless on the tour. They had an alternate-shot 67 on Wednesday and shot a best-ball 64 on Thursday.
''Today, I think what we did was quite impressive just with our ball-striking in general,'' Clanton said. ''Jasmine's putting's on point. I think you've just got to look at it as it's just another opportunity to play and the more that you can think of the fact that it's just another day on the golf course, we're going to go out and try to do what we've been doing, the better it's going to be.''
Sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn had a 64 to move into a tie for second at 11 under with Simin Feng-Ruixin Liu (67), Na Yeon Choi-Jenny Shin (67) and Paula Creamer-Morgan Pressel (69).
''I felt like first round, don't want to miss any shot because I don't want my sister to have like tough shot and I kind of worry and scared,'' Ariya Jutanugarn said. ''But today we already make the cut and nothing to lose, so we keep playing golf.''
Tagged under
Herman leads Haas by one through 36 holes at Barbasol Championship
Published in
Golf
Friday, 19 July 2019 13:42
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. - Jim Herman shot his second straight 7-under 65 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship.
President Donald Trump's regular golf partner while working as an assistant professional at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey, Herman holds a one-stroke lead over Bill Haas at rain-softened Keene Trace.
Encouraged by Trump to pursue a playing career, Herman won the 2016 Shell Houston Open for his lone Tour title.
Haas followed his opening 65 with a 66. He made a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 eighth, his 17th hole.
David Toms was two strokes back at 12 under after a 64. The 52-year-old Toms made a 13-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth, his 14th hole of the day. D.J. Trahan, Kelly Kraft and Kramer Hickok also were 12 under, each shooting 67.
Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (65), Austin Cook (66), Sebastian Munoz (68) and Wes Roach (69) were 11 under.
Tom Lovelady played the first six holes on the back nine in 7 under, capped by a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th. He bogeyed the par-3 16th and parred the last two for a 65 to top the group at 10 under.
J.T. Poston, the first-round leader after a 62, had a 73 to drop into a tie for 18th at 9 under. Canadian Nick Taylor, a stroke behind Poston after an opening 63, also was 9 under after a 72.
John Daly missed the cut with rounds of 71 and 72. Fighting osteoarthritis in his right knee, the 53-year-old Daly was playing his first PGA Tour event since he was approved for a cart last fall. Denied a cart by the R&A for the The Open, he has been approved for a cart at PGA Tour events until the end of the year.
The winner will receive a spot in the PGA Championship, but not in the Masters.
Tagged under
Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time on Friday when a freak second-minute goal by Baghdad Bounedjah gave them a 1-0 win over gallant Senegal in the final.
Bounedjah stunned the Lions of Teranga with a shot which took a wicked deflection off Salif Sane and looped over the bewildered goalkeeper Alfred Gomis and into the net.
Algeria, who committed 32 fouls according to official match statistics, sat back after that and had to scrap for their win in a match that was certainly not a classic but was tense and gripping throughout.
Senegal, beaten by Cameroon on their only previous appearance in the final in 2002, were awarded a penalty for handball in the second half but the decision was revoked following a VAR review.
- Africa Cup of Nations: All you need to know
- Full Africa Cup of Nations fixtures schedule
The final whistle provoked wild celebrations among the large contingent of travelling Algeria fans. It was a fitting end to a tournament that, with 24 teams for the first time, produced plentiful drama even if quality was sometimes lacking.
"This has been tough," said Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi, who has restored order to the team after a turbulent period which saw them employ seven coaches in three years.
"I am very, very happy, for the country, for the people who have waited for this for a long time. It's the first time we have won it outside our country, it's simply extraordinary.
"They say you don't play finals, you win them, I don't really believe that," he added. "We prepared and wanted to play against this talented team, Senegal. It wasn't our best match. We didn't have ball possession nor impose our play."
Senegal were missing Kalidou Koulibaly, arguably Africa's finest defender, through suspension and his absence was quickly felt.
The game got off to an extraordinary start when Bounedjah collected the ball, burst forward and unleashed a shot that took a wicked deflection off Sane.
Gomis stayed rooted to the spot, seemingly thinking that the ball was going out, but it dipped under the bar.
But Algeria sat back and allowed Senegal to claw their way back into the game.
They had a major let off in the second half when Ismaila Sarr burst down the right and fired a low cross into the middle.
It struck Adlene Guedioura's arm and, although it seemed impossible for the Algerian to get out of the way, the referee pointed to the spot but then changed his mind after a VAR review.
Algeria had another let off shortly afterwards. Cheikhou Kouyate sent Mbaye Niang clear and he took the ball around Rais Mbolhi but shot into the side-netting.
Youssouf Sabaly then produced a vicious dipping shot which Mbolhi did well to tip over the bar before Sarr volleyed over with the goal at his mercy.
"We conceded way too early," said Senegal coach Aliou Cisse, who played in the side beaten on penalties in the 2002 final and grew up in the same Parisian suburb as his opposite number.
"I think over the course of the match, we deserved to equalise. Tonight, I wanted to congratulate my players. We've been here for 46 days. We wanted it, but it wasn't our night."
Tagged under
Stars collide in Los Angeles as Galaxy face LAFC in first 2019 Trafico
Published in
Soccer
Thursday, 18 July 2019 20:02
The first El Trafico of 2019 is set for Friday night at Dignity Health Sports Park, reigniting Major League Soccer's newest, but perhaps most fascinating rivalry.
The game has everything you'd want out of a Tinseltown showdown: plenty of star power, some big story lines, and a host of intriguing subplots. One team is trying to stake its claim to soccer supremacy in Los Angeles, while the other is trying to claw back a bit of respect from its upstart neighbor.
Here's everything you need to know for the Los Angeles derby that has been cleverly named "El Trafico" in a town known for its gridlock.
LA Galaxy vs. LAFC
When: Friday, 10 p.m. ET, live on ESPN.
Backstory: LAFC enters El Trafico on pace to break MLS records for points, goals scored, goal differential, and a host of others. Bob Bradley's outfit is setting new standards midway through its second season and looks near unstoppable. Friday night is about continuing that march.
The Galaxy is more of a mixed bag. Guillermo Barros Schelotto's first season in Los Angeles hasn't been easy, with a rash of injuries and a dodgy defensive play hurting the club's consistency. Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains largely himself and can turn a game on its head, but the margins are smaller for the older LA club.
LAFC wasn't able to beat the Galaxy in its inaugural season, so Friday night is a chance to claim bragging rights for the first time.
How they match up: The task is significant for the Galaxy on the defensive end, with LAFC possessing a host of dangerous players and an intricate passing game that can pull teams apart in an instant. Expect Barros Schelotto to have a plan to slow down Carlos Vela -- whether that plan works might decide the game.
The Galaxy's star to watch: Ibrahimovic. Still capable of the astounding, the 37-year-old dominates attention when the Galaxy are on the attack. Depending so heavily on one player doesn't usually count as a sound strategy, but LA gets away with it because Zlatan is that good. Ibrahimovic has a penchant for the dramatic, something worth watching for on Friday night.
1:36
Twellman: Galaxy searching for identity ahead of El Trafico
Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman examine LA Galaxy's recent struggles as they prepare to take on city rivals LAFC, MLS's top team in 2019.
LAFC's star to watch: Vela. The Mexico international is having a historic season, leading the league in goals (19) and assists (12) while keying most of what LAFC does on the attacking end of the field. His legendary left foot is a constant danger and even when not threatening goal himself, his movement opens space for the rest of LAFC's attacking contingent.
X factor, LA Galaxy: Jonathan Dos Santos. As Dos Santos goes, so goes the Galaxy. If the Mexican midfielder can be a disruptive force in the center of the field and help slow down the transition game orchestrated by Latif Blessing and his cohorts, the Galaxy have a chance. Dos Santos is also a threat to score from distance.
X factor, LAFC: Diego Rossi. Rossi isn't the dynamic skill player that Vela is, but the Uruguayan has a nose for the goal that's almost unmatched in MLS. Vela rightly gets the lion's share of attention, but it's Rossi who will take advantage if the defense overcommits to stopping the Mexican star.
The Galaxy need to ... keep Vela from getting the ball in space on the right, where his ability to cut inside creates nightmares for even the best defensive units.
LAFC needs to ... stick with what it does best, pinging the ball around the midfield trio before going wide to the feet of Vela and Rossi. The goals will come.
Prediction: LAFC 3, LA Galaxy 0. These teams are not particularly close at the moment. LAFC is better and will show it.
Tagged under
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
